Goggles, masks and other eye-protection systems are very useful to keep dust, wind, gravel, metal shavings and the like out of the eyes. In humid environments and/or during strenuous physical activity a great deal of ventilation between the lens of the goggle or masks and the eyes of the user is highly preferable to prevent or remove condensation from inside the goggles, masks or other systems. In other situations where dust, metal shavings or the like can easily irritate the eyes, a substantially complete seal and/or a partial or filtered seal between the lens and the eyes of a user is desirable.
Unfortunately, in order to vary the amount of ventilation between the lens and eyes of a user, the user typically needs to remove the particular goggle, mask or eye-protection system and put on a different pair. This is expensive because the user needs several different goggles, masks, lenses, etc., and inconvenient because the user must stop whatever they are doing (for example, skiing, snowboarding, motorcycle racing, performing a rescue, etc.) to change the goggle, mask and/or lens. Thus, there has gone unmet a need for a goggle, mask and/or lens that is capable of providing a plurality of different ventilation states while maintaining substantial eye protection in each ventilation state.
The present invention provides goggles that comprise a vent cover which can be set at a plurality of different positions relative to the frame of the goggle, mask or glasses, so that a plurality of different ventilation states are possible while the lens is maintained in front of at least one eye of a user. The present invention additionally provides other advantages.
The present invention provides goggles and methods comprising a vent cover that can be selectively moved relative to a frame to increase and/or decrease ventilation of the goggle. Typically, the vent cover can be moved with or without gloves on the user""s hands, and can be permanently or removably attached to the frame. Such goggles and methods are desirable, for example during strenuous activities including sports, technical rescues or military operations, because they make it easy to remove moist air from the enclosed environment between the user""s eyes and the lens, yet can substantially prevent dust and debris or the like from injuring the user""s eyes.
Thus, in one aspect, the invention provides a goggle comprising a lens attached to a frame that is sized to maintain the lens in front of at least one eye of a user. The lens and frame define an interior region, the region in front of at least one eye of a user enclosed by the lens and frame when the goggle is worn by the user, and an exterior region, the region outside the goggle when the goggle is worn by a user. The frame comprises frame vents comprising at least two of the group consisting of a top frame vent, a bottom frame vent and a side frame vent that define a passage operable to transmit air between the interior region and the exterior region and facilitate cross ventilation of a portion of the goggle. The goggle also comprises a vent cover adjustably attached to the frame by an attachment component and retention component, and moveable relative to the frame between a first position defining a first level of airflow through the frame vents and a second position defining a second, substantially greater level of airflow through the frame vents. For example, the first position can be defined by a first level of airflow that is substantially zero, and the second position can be defined by locating a peripheral-contact surface of a vent cover a first, substantially constant distance away from a frame-vent perimeter of a frame vent. The goggle can further include a vent cover that can be adjustably attached to and moveable relative to the frame to a third or more positions providing different levels of airflow, if desired.
Embodiments of the goggle include various embodiments of the frame. The frame can comprise a left side and a right side. The goggle can comprise a first vent cover adjustably attached to and moveable relative to the left side of the frame and a second vent cover adjustably attached to and moveable relative to the right side of the frame. Additionally or alternatively, the frame can comprise a top frame vent in a top portion of the frame and a bottom frame vent in a bottom portion of the frame that facilitate cross ventilation of a portion of the interior region when the vent cover is in a position that permits airflow through the top and bottom frame vents. In other embodiments, the frame can comprise a top, bottom and side frame vents in respective top, bottom and side portions of the frame. Additionally or alternatively, the frame can comprise at least one of the frame vents covered by a filter element to allow filtered airflow into the interior region when the vent cover is in a position that permits airflow through the covered frame vent.
Embodiments of the goggle include various embodiments of the vent cover. For example the vent cover can comprise a body, a top cover portion and bottom cover portion that extend from the body and include a peripheral-contact surface, an attachment component to adjustably attach the vent cover to a frame of a goggle, and a retention component to retain the vent cover in at least a first and second position relative to the frame when the vent cover is attached to the frame. In some embodiments of the vent cover, the top and bottom cover portion can extend from the body such that the vent cover is substantially U-shaped. Additionally, the vent cover can further comprise a side cover portion.
Embodiments of the vent cover include various embodiments of the cover portions. For example, one or more cover portions can comprise a cover vent corresponding to and aligned with a frame vent in the frame. The cover vent can be covered by at least one of the group consisting of a membrane and a filter element. When the cover vent is covered by a filter element and the vent cover is in the first position, filtered air can flow through the cover vent and corresponding frame vent to ventilate the interior region. When the cover vent is covered by a membrane and the vent cover is in the first position, the first level of airflow can be substantially zero. Furthermore, if the corresponding frame vent is covered by a filter element and the vent cover is in the second or other position, a substantially greater level of filtered air can flow through the frame vent to ventilate the interior region.
Embodiments of the vent cover include various embodiments of the attachment and retention components. For example, the attachment component can comprise a tongue extending from the vent cover that slides within a vent-cover attachment hole in the frame that is sized to receive the tongue. Additionally, the attachment component can include a lip sized and located on a tongue to substantially prevent the tongue from sliding out of the vent-cover attachment hole in the frame.
The retention component, for example, can comprise a retention post extending from the vent cover and sized to fit into at least first and second vent-cover retention holes in the frame. The first and second vent-cover retention holes are located in the frame so that when the retention post is inserted into the first hole, the vent cover is in the first position, and when the retention post is inserted into the second hole, the vent cover is in the second position. The retention component can also comprise a guide post extending from the vent cover and sized to fit into and slide within a guide slot in the frame.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for ventilating a goggle that comprises placing the vent cover of a goggle in a first position relative to a frame of the goggle, the frame comprising frame vents comprising at least two of the group consisting of a top frame vent, a bottom frame vent and a side frame vent, the first position permitting a first level of airflow through each frame vent, moving the vent cover relative to the frame to a second position that permits a second level of airflow through each frame vent, wherein the second level of airflow is substantially greater than the first level of airflow. In some executions of the method, the method can further comprise retaining the vent cover in at least one of the positions. For example, the vent cover can be retained in one of the positions by inserting a retention post of the vent cover into a vent-cover retention hole in the frame. In these and other executions of the method, placing and moving the vent cover can be performed while a user of the goggle is strenuously physically active. In addition, in these and other executions of the method, moving the vent cover can comprise a) pushing or pulling the vent cover with at least one of the user""s hands and b) sliding a tongue of the vent cover within a vent-cover attachment hole in the frame.
These and other aspects, features and embodiments are set forth within this application, including the following Detailed Description and attached drawings. The present invention comprises a variety of aspects, features and embodiments; such multiple aspects, features and embodiments can be combined and permuted in any desired manner.